Society

Angry parents close Mfuleni school

About 40 Mfuleni parents closed down the New Parliament Street Primary School on Tuesday, demanding that the principal leave the school and withdraw their children.

Nombulelo Damba

News | 29 April 2015

Four men charged with robbing Ethiopian shop

Four men have been charged with robbing two Ethiopian nationals in Pietermaritzburg.

Ntombi Mbomvu

News | 28 April 2015

“You were supposed to become somebody, - the hopes of homeless people

In the winter of 2014 I interviewed six young men who lived on the streets of Cape Town’s Central Business District.

David Cowan

Opinion | 28 April 2015

“Sometimes I only manage to make R10 a day just to put bread on the table, - 17-year-old boy

When you’re 14 years old, your parents normally take care of you. But Sivuyile Sibhozo from Site C Taiwan Informal Settlement in Khayelitsha has been taking care of his brother and grandmother for the past three years.

Nombulelo Damba

Feature | 23 April 2015

Cape Town’s strelitzia man

Every day between 3pm and 7pm, at the traffic lights on the corner of Buitengracht Street and Buitensingel in the Cape Town city centre, you’re likely to see a man with a bunch of orange strelitzia flowers.

Mary-Anne Gontsana

News | 22 April 2015

Xenophobia: let’s avoid the easy answers

Much has been written about why the recent wave of xenophobic attacks took place. But it's more complex than the usual reasons given, argue the authors.

Matthias Krönke and Mpho Raboeane

Opinion | 21 April 2015

Family of four die in Hangberg fire

A family of four was killed and eleven bungalows burned to the ground in a Hangberg shack fire early on Sunday morning.

Kimon de Greef

News | 21 April 2015

Crossroads woman accuses social worker of keeping her pension

A grandmother from Crossroads has accused a social worker of keeping back part of her old age grant of R1,350 per month.

Nombulelo Damba

News | 21 April 2015

Langa restaurant on show at Africa’s biggest tourism event

Six years ago, 51-year-old Nomonde Siyaka transformed her family's home in Langa into a two-storey traditional African food restaurant.

Barbara Maregele

News | 16 April 2015

Mbekweni Rasta’s five storey wooden house

A Rastafarian in Mbekweni has spent 20 years building himself a five storey wooden house - and he plans to add two more storeys.

Michael Nkalane

News | 15 April 2015

Defrauded Nyanga man refunded after GroundUp reports his story

After having half his salary deducted every month for over a year to pay for furniture which he did not buy, a Nyanga man has now been refunded.

Mary-Anne Gontsana

News | 15 April 2015

Residents demand clarity on R60 million Langa Junction complex

Management of the R60 million Langa Junction complex has promised to make information available to angry residents who have complained about a lack of transparency in the building and leasing of the 5,000 square metre space.

Pharie Sefali and Nombulelo Damba

News | 14 April 2015

Athlone’s amazing pet hospital

Walking through the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) in Bridgetown, Athlone, is like walking through a hospital for humans - bare walls, corridors, operating rooms. Except, that is, for the barking and for the smell of dogs.

Mary-Anne Gontsana

News | 9 April 2015

Riders of the trains

Whiteboy and Tupac are chilling on a bench in New Canada station before their usual high-octane commute to school. Whiteboy, aged 18 and in grade 11 at a former model C school in Jozi, wears a striped T-shirt, shorts and brown suede shoes. He’s smoking Dunhill Courtleigh blends. His “macala” (friend) Tupac is a year younger, with short hair, neat in school rig and black toughees (school shoes) with red laces, high as a kite on weed, with sleepy red eyes. Their excited schoolgirl fans can’t wait to see the action.

Mosa Damane

Feature | 9 April 2015

Cape Town Zimbabwe Excellence Awards to be held on 4 April

The Cape Town Zimbabwe Excellence Awards seek to recognise Zimbabweans who have excelled in making a positive contribution to the Cape Town community in various ways, including sports, the media, academic prowess, business acumen and in the entertainment world. The awards will be announced at the Cape Town International Conference Centre on 4 April 2015.

Tariro Washinyira

Brief | 3 April 2015

Race transcends class in this country: a response to Seekings and Nattrass

In their article Jeremy Seekings and Nicoli Nattrass decry that “the racialization of pain serves to reduce injustices and indiginities to race, foreclosing serious consideration of other forms of injustice and indignity”. I don’t know about Seekings and Nattrass but to me as a black person racism is a primary form of injustice and indignity.

Xolela Mangcu

Opinion | 2 April 2015